Overview & Reviews

Acura is an upscale automaker known for offering cars with impressive levels of luxury, features and performance. It's come a long way in a short time, however, as the history of Acura is relatively brief. Parent company Honda introduced the Acura brand to the U.S. market in 1986 in an effort to create a separate luxury division for its products. At first, it was just a two-car show: the Legend sedan, which was the first true Japanese luxury car sold in America, and the Integra sport coupe and sedan.

Though essentially a marketing creation for the North American market, the Acura brand was immediately successful. Consumers liked the features, performance and upscale image of Acura cars, along with the fact that Acuras were backed by Honda's reputation for reliability and low ownership costs. In 1991, Acura introduced its crown jewel: the all-aluminum NSX sports car, which offered performance close to that of other exotic cars while undercutting them in price.

As Acura's product line grew in the 1990s, however, the company struggled a bit. Some of its products were duds, and it risked alienating loyal customers when it replaced the Legend and Integra names with alphanumeric designations. The company jumped on the hot luxury SUV bandwagon in the mid-'90s with the SLX. Unfortunately, the SLX was just a rebadged version of an Isuzu SUV, and its quality did not match customers' expectations.

For the new millennium, Acura revamped its product range. An all-new SUV called the MDX debuted, sporting numerous family-friendly features, including a third-row seat. The Integra was replaced with the RSX sport coupe, and an all-new entry-level sport sedan called the TSX was introduced after that. A complete redesign of its most popular model, the midsize TL sedan, followed, as did a redesign of its flagship RL luxury sedan.

By mid-decade the NSX was gone, but Acura filled out its model lineup with the street-performance-oriented RDX compact crossover, the TSX wagon and the ZDX, a fastback-styled crossover that placed unique styling over practicality. Today Acura is still trying to find its ideal niche but there's no denying the quality of Acura's vehicles, nor their appealing mix of performance, technology and value.

User Reviews:

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  Awsome Car! - 2004 Acura MDX
  By susieqz - October 10 - 2:00 am

  This car has got to be the best I have ever owned. I love everything about it. It drives like a dream. The sound system is great. The cabin is quiet. The seats are comfortable. It does just as advertised on gas mileage--even when using less than premium. It has every gadget I could ever want.

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  Having Fun - 2004 Acura TL
  By TONY ROMERO - October 10 - 2:00 am

  I am so excited to be one of the first to own this vehicle. Everything from the power to the standard features Rock.

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  Exceeded my expectations - 2004 Acura TL
  By Smitty2004 - October 10 - 2:00 am

  I did all the research and finally chose this car. 5.1 DVD Audio is excellent Engine + gearbox is the smoothest I have ever encountered. You will not be disappointed.

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  top dog - 2004 Acura TL
  By glenn curry - October 10 - 2:00 am

  fun to drive and look at, should really look at this car if comparing G35, 3series, ES330, or A4

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  04 TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By BrianmB4837 - October 10 - 2:00 am

  What a tremendous vehicle, and the most impressive part of it is the value. A luxury interior, with great power and performance. Sound system is groundbreaking for cars. Definitely comparible to a 6cyl 5 Series (maybe slightly smaller?), but almost 20Gs less. Highest recommendations . . . although there is one thing i cannot figure out . . . no compass?

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  Untitled - 2004 Acura TL
  By RV Duss - October 10 - 2:00 am

  The car is a definite advance over the previous TL, which I also owned and found to be a very good car. This car is much more powerful, handles better, and comes with just about everything. Economically, it actually seems to get better mileage on the open road. I took it on an extended trip and got 29mph.The navigation system is very good, though the voice commands need work. Acura should sell a lot of these vehicles as the pricing is very fair given the features and the styling is quite good. Overall a great value.

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  FAST AND FURIOUS...... - 2004 Acura TL
  By sic5770 - October 10 - 2:00 am

  This is the best SPORTS SEADN out there in the market,this car has 270 HP compare to its rivals BMW 530 has 225,and BMW 525 has 185 HP,but look at the price diffrence is almost $20,000.....the best thing about ACURA everything is included in the package,unlike its rivals where you have to pay for premium sound,heated seats,hallogen lights,leather seats.....with this price and performance this car is NO BRAINER.......

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  A DREAM MACHINE! HAS IT ALL! - 2004 Acura TL
  By ACURA MAN - October 10 - 2:00 am

  FANTASTIC SPORT SEDAN WITH LOTS OF LEG AND HEADROOM AND COMFORT . 04 BODY STYLE IS GREAT. SEATS ARE EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE AND CONTOURED. I FEEL AT HOME THE MOMENT THAT I GET IN.THE DASH AND BLUE BACKLIGHT INSTUMENTATION PANEL IS A "WOW" ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THE SOUND SYSTEM AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM ARE SUPERB. THE NAV SCREEN IS 8 INCHES AND ITS EASY TO USE AFTER 1 HOUR OF PRACTICE. THE RIDE IS SMOOTH AND QUIET AT 80 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. HANDELING IS PINPOINT AND THE EXTRA BRIGHT XENON HEADLIGHTS MAKE NIGHT VISION EASY. PLEASANT SURPRISES WERE THE AMOUNT OF POWER THAT THE 270 HORSEPOWER ENGINE PRODUCES AND HOW EFFORTLESS THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS.

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  Best car ever - 2004 Acura TL
  By danilo67 - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely the best car Acura(or anyone else) has built. Smooth, responsive engine, Great sound system, Ample room for Driver and passengers, including back seat. Wow! What a ride! Handling and feel second to none. Drive one and youll be hooked.

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  WOW. - 2002 Acura RSX
  By foxman - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Way to fun.